Small business owners concerned about proposed minimum wage hike

The state of Illinois is considering a minimum wage increase from $8.25/hour to $10.00 an hour. The Illinois House has already passed the bill. It is now up for discussion in the state Senate.

The increase would make Illinois’ minimum wage the highest in the country. It concerns small business owners who say the impact would come down on them.

President and CEO of The Hungry Hobo, Pryce Boeye, says most of his workers start at minimum wage. He says the change would have a direct impact on his bottom line and could be a game changer for his business strategy.

“The last two stores we opened were in Iowa,” said Boeye. “We’re almost looking exclusively at that side of the river at this point.”

A full-time worker making ten dollars an hour would take home about 3-hundred dollars a week or a little more than 15-thousand dollars a year.